ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) -- Joe Andreessen's professional football pursuit brought him back to Buffalo last year. He will be staying home a while longer striding toward that goal.
The Bills on Saturday signed Andreessen, a linebacker who graduated from Lancaster High School and played his final college season at University at Buffalo after transferring from Bryant, where Andreessen was an FCS All-American.
Andreessen was one of 27 hopefuls invited to Buffalo's rookie minicamp this weekend, which included two of his UB teammates, receiver Cole Harrity and kicker Alex McNulty, and professional lacrosse star Zed Williams, a Cattaraugus Reservation native, among four linebackers trying out for the last open spot on the Bills' 90-man offseason roster.
"A little surreal," Andreessen said after Friday's practice, which also included the 10 draft picks and 12 undrafted rookies signed by the Bills. "Just walking through the halls and seeing the names I grew up watching, it's a cool feeling."
In his lone season at UB, Andreessen started all 12 games at inside linebacker and led the Bulls with 90 tackles (12 for loss).
Andreessen explored entering the draft a year ago after he set a Bryant record with 116 tackles in 11 games and led FCS with 77 solo stops. He became the fifth player in school history to attain AP All-America status and was selected Big South Defensive Player of the Year by Phil Steele Magazine.
***
Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.
